1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an improvement in jewelry and more specifically an improvement in an adjustable self sizing ring.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous attempts have been made in the prior art to provide adjustable finger rings to accommodate or fit fingers of various sizes. Traditionally, making a ring larger or smaller has been an ordeal for the jeweler, primarily because the resizing process has required removing the gemstone. Additionally, stretching or cutting down the band may introduce imperfections into the metal or weaken the overall ring structure. Some of the early approaches to this problem have been to provide ring protectors that assist in adjusting the opening of a finger ring with a flexible band, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 803,273.
It is well known that a ring can frequently require an adjustment even if initially sized to a particular finger due to physiological changes that can occur such as the wearer's weight and changes in the weather. U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,048 discloses a ring guard for a diamond engagement ring that also purportedly prevents any twisting through the particular structure of a ring guard formed from a plastic material. U.S. Pat. No. 322,435 discloses an ability to adjust a flexible open circular band with pivoted cams. U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,418 discloses a ring that is bifurcated so that hooks on upper edges of a shank can be mounted within keeper openings on a head of the ring. U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,272 discloses procedure for adjusting a bifurcated ring arrangement wherein hooks are provided on a head of the ring for interfacing with indents on a shank.
Finally, the British Patent No. 802 (1884) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,989 are of general interest.
Although the prior art has attempted, for a considerable period of time, to resolve the problem of adjusting a size of a ring for jewelry applications there is still a demand in the commercial jewelry field to provide an efficient and secure adjustment of ring for use in fine jewelry.